Captured M16s
From MilitaryPhotos
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief general Germohenes Esperon (L) and Philippine National Police chief general Avelino Razon (R) hold a rifle during hand over ceremony of captured, confiscated, surrendered or recovered firearms at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon city, east of Manila, Philippines on 27 November 2007. Around 200 assorted firearms were handed over to police for securement and to prevent said firearms from landing into the hands of terrorists, criminals and insurgent groups
I suppose it is good that they recovered those rifles. I wonder how many US supplied M16s are in the hands of rebels and common criminals!
Probably a good number, but, in all fairness, you really can’t tell the source by the type of rifle. The M16A1 has been produced in a number of countries, including those in Asia (South Korea, Singapore), and large numbers were left behind in Vietnam, and who knows where they’ve ended up from there?
I wonder how many of the nice, fully functioning M-16s were fished out of that batch prior to the surrender or handoff? Most of the arm dealers selling illegal M-16s or whatever, “pick-up/trophy” arms in the black market are either active or former military guys. I suppose there’s a certain machoism and monetary gain when illegal arms are sold.
Most M-16s we left in Vietnam for ARVN troops where stored by the communest in armorys and are strored to be used in emergincy situations.